Means for indicating the deflation of tires.



HARRY B. WILLIAMS',

To all whom 'it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, HARRY B. WILLlAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn; in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements.

in Means for Indicating the Deflation of Tires, of which the following is a specification. I

lhis invention relates to means for detecting the de-I flation of pneumatic tires in motor cars or the like.

In many cases after a tire is punctured or becomes leaky from any other cause, the escape of air is not noticeable to the operator ofthe car,so that the lrstd'ndication ofthe deiiation of the tirev which is afforded is the grinding or bumping of the rim upon the road bed.

When'the driving ol the car is continued until the tire fis deiiatedto this extent, the latter isusually badly damaged, and often rendered useless. v

According to my invention I provide a means for indicating to the driver the fact that the'tire is deating beforeany injury can be done to the tire. To this end I provide a member which normally extends or lies beyond the rim oi the tire and which tends to raise the wheel at a point in its rotation so as to produce a shock or jar whi ch is noticeable to the driver. Such'member preferably is arranged within the tire,'and` by preterence is formed of resilient material so as to avoid any wear upon the latter. I l In the drawings wherein I have shown one form of my invention, Figure l is a vertical section of a tir and rimtaken circumferentially thereof: Fig. is a cross-y section ofFig. l..

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate -the felly of a Wheel for motor cars or the like, B the ordinary channeled rim, O the outer 'shoe of a pneumatic tire, and D the usual inner air tube. Theseparts may be of any construction, being shown merely to illustrate my invention. 'v

The form ol member which I prefer to employ-for indicating the deflation oi the tire is shown at E, and comprises a ball of resilient rubber arranged within the air `tube D ,as show n.l '-I preferably hold the ball E` iu. 'place rwithin the-tube by suitable strips or bands F F,

arranged one-ori each side of the ball, and connected in any suitable way to thewalls of the air tube. l may permit the ballto move freely within thetube., v'but prefer the construction shown as it avoids any possibility ofthe ball chafmg or wearing the tube; l The ball E or other member extends suiciently beyond therim to indicate to the driver that the. tire is deflated before it is suiiiciently flat to cause any damage to the tire. As shown in Fig. 2 in dottedlines the ball will 'be pressed against the rimbythe `tread ofthe tire; when the air pressure in the latter is reduced sui- Specication if Letters Patent. Application tiled August 8, 1906. Seria1No.329,710.

' tire, of aibgll-E ciently to cause the portionwhich is in contact with the oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS non INnicA'rrNGmHn nEFLA'rroNoF Trans.

Patented July 1e, 1907.

ground to collapse to the extent shown in dottedlines.- The ball tends to raise thev Wheel at ,each rotation, thus indicating to the driver that the tire,is deflated. -By

changing the size of the ball E, or otherwise varying the extent of vits projection beyond the4 rim, any required degree of deation will be indicated.

It will be understood that I do not Wish to be limited -to the construction shown, since .I have selected this merely as an example ofthe vention.

Many other constructions may be employed, so long as they indicate to the user ot the vehicle that the tire is deflating by a noticeable jar or. other signal. My invention also includes any member arranged within the tire which is adapted to attract the attention or' the user to the deiiation of the tire. What 1 claim is:

means provided by my in- 1. .In a pneumatic tire, the combination with a. contnu-y ous pneumatic tube runningl substantially around the tire,

ot a member beyond the rim tending to raise the wheel at a point in its rotation when the tire is deflated to a predetermined extent. f

2. In a pneumatic tire, the combination with a contlnuous pneumatic tube running substantially around the' tire,

of a member within the tire tending to raise the wheel at a point in its rotation when the tire is deflated to a. pre.h determined extent. f

'ous pneumatic tube running substantially around thetire, ot a compressible member beyond the rim ten'ding to raise. the wheel at a point in itsrotation when the tire is deiated to a predetermined extent.

4. In a pneumatic tire, the combination with a contlnuous 'pneumatic tube .running substantially around the tire,

or a rubber bau 01- tbe like beyond tbe rim and tendingto raise the wheel at a point'u its rotation when the tire is deflated to a predetermined extent. i

5. In a pneumatic tire, .the combination with a continu- 'ous pneumatic' tube runningsubstantially around the tire,

of a member within thepneumatlc tube, .such member ex-l tending beyond the rim, und'belng adapted to indicate v the deflation of the tire.

6. In a pneumatic tire, the combination with afcontiliu ous pneumatic .tube D running substantially around the- ,'tireLbutprevexitlng substantial movement of the .lmllso thajt'wheuthe tube is fully inflated the bull ls inoperative,l but whenthe tube is partially deflated the'wheel will run upon and over the ball at cach revolution.

-ioo

e lsfpartially debated thewheel will run i In witness whereof, I have'hereunto'signeq my name ln the presence oftwo subscrlbiugwitnesses. I HARRY B.\VIL JAMS.

f Witnesses:

' DOMINGO A. USINA,

'TI-mobonn T. SNnLL.

3. In a pneumatic' tire, the combination with a. continu- 

